The St. Louis Blues enjoyed a full and complete 60-minute victory over the best team in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2. There was a lot of positives in this one, and but one thing stood above the rest.
Superstar Center Robert Thomas scored a hat-trick, which were all three Blues goals in the game. It is an impressive feat, for sure, but there was something particularly special about it. After all of the successful moments and performances from Thomas, it is hard to believe that this was his first one.
Even on Colorado ice, in front of the Avs faithful at Ball Arena, No. 18 got showered with some hats.
After 524 games, it happened
Thomas has been a fixture for this franchise for a long time. And, after 524 games, the playmaker was able to notch his first hat-trick. To put this into perspective, he has been flirting with this accomplishment an abundance of times.
Over his career, Thomas has potted two-goals in a single game, 14 times. If you were to do a reverse hat-trick, counting three assists as the criteria, he has done that six times over the course of his career.
Could not have come at a better time
With the Blues in the midst of a really intense playoff hunt in the Western Conference, the Blues needed this win. Thomas' heroics could not have come at a better time, against the team with the best record in all of hockey, and favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
The Blues recent victory has set them up for a shootout at the finish. With six games remaining, they still sit just three points back of the Nashville Predators for the second wildcard spot.